Rich Township officials are bracing for potential increased demand at a food pantry that helps feed people in need.

Corporations, small businesses, faith communities and individuals can help by donating money, Supervisor Calvin Jordan said.

“Even just giving a little bit back makes a huge difference,” Jordan said. “We try to get everybody involved. If we’re going to be a strong Southland, we all have to come together and work together.”

The pantry serves about 1,200 people per week, Jordan said. Hundreds of vehicles line up on Tuesdays and Thursdays to pick up fresh produce, bread, meat and other staples from a township facility at 22013 Governors Highway, Richton Park.

Demand may swell by 1,000 or more per week, Jordan said. Congress expanded eligibility for food stamps during the pandemic, but those benefits expired March 1. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program serves 1.9 million people in Illinois, about 15% of the population.

“I’m starting to see more people come in,” Jordan said. “We don’t turn anybody back.”

Rich Township covers 36 square miles that include Country Club Hills, Flossmoor, Hazel Crest, Homewood, Matteson, Olympia Fields, Park Forest, Richton Park, Tinley Park and University Park. Jordan said the pantry is serving increasing numbers of people who do not reside within the township.

“We also have people from other parts of the Southland,” he said. “We have an open-door policy of assisting people within the area.”

Other facilities that help feed families in need throughout the region have also reported increased demand since expanded SNAP benefits expired in March. Anyone who regularly shops in a grocery store knows that their dollars do not buy as much food as they once did.

“With inflation and the rise in costs we have seen over the course of the end of the pandemic, we must be accessible and we must be willing to listen to the needs of our community,” said state Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin, D-Matteson.

Food assistance is one front in a political battle between wealthy elites and working class families. Expanding work requirements for SNAP beneficiaries was part of the recent bipartisan deal to raise the nation’s debt ceiling and avoid default that could have tanked the global economy.

“SNAP is the subject of intense partisan focus, largely due to the amount of annual spending for the program,” University of Illinois researcher Jonathan Coppess wrote in a paper published Thursday.

Congress is considering spending about $120 billion per year on SNAP, Coppess wrote. The program serves about 42.5 million Americans each year. The average monthly benefit is $230 per person, though many beneficiaries receive as little as $6 per day in assistance.

Contrary to misleading narratives pushed by partisans who want to slash spending on safety net programs in order to pay for more tax cuts for wealthy corporations and individuals, the vast majority of SNAP recipients have jobs. About 80% of families receiving SNAP benefits have at least one member who is working, NBC News reported, citing Census Bureau data.

Stagnant wages and rising costs for housing, food and other essentials mean more people struggling to pay monthly bills are turning to food pantries to make ends meet.

“From a township perspective, we are a last resort,” Jordan said. “We have to help people. I know we can’t feed everybody, but we can make a difference.”

The state is providing additional financial assistance. A line item in the recently approved fiscal year 2024 budget designated a $100,000 appropriation for capital improvements to the Rich Township food pantry. An additional $250,000 was earmarked for operational costs such as buying food, Jordan said.

“That can help a lot of families,” he said.

The private sector also pitches in. Victory Apostolic Church in Matteson and other faith communities donate money every month, Jordan said. The pantry receives donations from large corporations such as Walmart, as well as small businesses and individuals, he said.

“We probably raise between $75,000 and $100,000 per year,” Jordan said.

Business owner Cliff Taylor said he regularly contributes to support food pantry operations. He founded Matteson-based InsureSource LLC, an insurance agency that provides consulting and other services to government, commercial and individual clients.

“I feel it’s important that we have collaboration from the state level, local levels of government, corporations and local businesses alike and pool our resources together and try to help our most vulnerable,” Taylor said.

Taylor said he believes families and individuals seeking help may be experiencing temporary need for assistance.

“You may see someone in line who didn’t have a need last month and they have a need this month,” he said. “All of us could be one or two paychecks away from needing help.”

Ted Slowik is a columnist for the Daily Southtown.

tslowik@tribpub.com